County, company look to extend agreement

By Matthew Beaton / The News Herald

Published: Monday, February 11, 2013 at 08:58 PM.

The new agreement also would require Lake Merial to donate a 20-acre parcel to the county, which would be used as a public park. The company already has donated 36 acres — property now occupied by Deane Bozeman School and the county’s District 9 Fire Station on State 77.

The park may not be far off. Once the building permit for the 200th house is issued, the county gets the 20 acres, saidMartin Jacobson, BayCountycommunity development director. The county likely would develop the park “fairly quickly” at that point, he said.

“If there’s 200 homes out there, there’s going to be a demand for a recreational amenity,” he said.

Maulden said he’s “very optimistic” about future growth as the housing market finally starts to improve.

The company develops the lots and sells them to builders, who then construct the homes. He said the lots are moving “real well” and phase two, which will be at least as big as phase one, should start in the next 12 to 18 months.

“A couple years ago [interest] was very flat, and we’re seeing a good increase in our particular area right now and we expect it to continue,” he said.

SAND HILLS — A local development company is planning 7,000 units for Bay County’s Sand Hills area — but it has 30 years to make that happen.

The new agreement will apply to Lake Merial Inc.’s 2,144-acre development located east of State 77, at the intersection of Lake Merial Boulevard, south of Deane Bozeman.

“It’s really a renewal of the [existing] agreement,” said James Maulden, company president.

The primary change is the new agreement takes into account updated development regulations, which allow four units per acre instead of the old one unit per acre requirement, according to county documents. The agreement also requires a minimum 35 percent — about 750 acres — of the development to function as “open space.” That includes 190 acres of “conservation areas” and 288 acres of lakes.

The County Commission has yet to approve the new agreement, but commissioners showed no interest in voting it down at the Feb. 5 meeting where it held a first read and public hearing. The bill should get a second read and a vote at the commission’s next meeting Feb. 19.

The initial 10-year agreement between the county and Lake Merial came in 2001 and was extended in 2011, but the company is still in its first development phase, about 140 to 150 lots, Maulden said. About 45 percent of the lots have finished homes or they are under construction, he said. The development already is connected to the county’s water and sewer system, he said.

Right now, the gated community has waterfront lots ranging from $179,500 for 0.66 acres to $435,000 for 1.13 acres, according to its website.

The new agreement also would require Lake Merial to donate a 20-acre parcel to the county, which would be used as a public park. The company already has donated 36 acres — property now occupied by Deane Bozeman School and the county’s District 9 Fire Station on State 77.

The park may not be far off. Once the building permit for the 200th house is issued, the county gets the 20 acres, saidMartin Jacobson, BayCountycommunity development director. The county likely would develop the park “fairly quickly” at that point, he said.

“If there’s 200 homes out there, there’s going to be a demand for a recreational amenity,” he said.

Maulden said he’s “very optimistic” about future growth as the housing market finally starts to improve.

The company develops the lots and sells them to builders, who then construct the homes. He said the lots are moving “real well” and phase two, which will be at least as big as phase one, should start in the next 12 to 18 months.

“A couple years ago [interest] was very flat, and we’re seeing a good increase in our particular area right now and we expect it to continue,” he said.